THE dad of tragic toddler Poppi Worthington has refused to answer 69 questions which 'may incriminate him' at the inquest over his daughter's death.

Paul Worthington, 49, was granted permission to give evidence from behind a screen, which the Barrister's for Poppi's mum and The Sun opposed, shielding him from the public view having gone into hiding after allegations he sexually abused the toddler before she died.

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Paul Worthington, depicted in a court sketch, gave evidence from behind a screen at the inquest today

News Group Newspapers Ltd

Paul Worthington is pictured leaving the inquest today

Poppi was just 13 months old when she collapsed at her family home in Cumbria in December 2012 and died later in hospital.

Last January, Lord Justice Peter Jackson ruled that he had probably sexually assaulted her, saying Poppi's "significant bleeding" could only be sensibly explained as the result of penetrative trauma.

In the witness stand at Kendal Coroner's Court today, Mr Worthington refused to answer a number of questions about his relationship with Poppi and the hours before her death.

Worthington pulled a hood over his head as he arrived at at Kendal Coroner's Court

Maverick Photography

Worthington was granted permission to give evidence from behind a screen

Poppi's mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, walked out of the court during the questioning.

Rule 22 states no inquest witness is obliged to answer any question which may incriminate them.

Mr Worthington arrived at Kendal Coroner's Court with a hood over his head and flanked by police.

The application for Mr Worthington to appear behind a screen was opposed by Poppy's mum but granted by the coroner.

Kelvin Media

Poppi's father Paul Worthington was ruled to have probably sexually assaulted his daughter

PA:Press Association

Poppi collapsed and died in 2012 when she was just 13-months-old

Mr Worthington claims he took Poppi into his bed at their home in Cumbria on the night of her death because she was feeling ill and later noticed she was unconscious.

The court has previously heard he claimed he had put his fingers down her nappy so he could create room for her to poo.

A controversial first inquest lasted just seven minutes after the coroner relied on the findings of the family court judgement and declared her death as unexplained.

A High Court ruling ordered a fresh inquest into Poppi's death after the hearing was deemed "irregular".

The judge also found Cumbria Police had conducted no "real" investigation for nine months after her death, claiming senior detectives thought a pathologist who examined Poppi's body "may have jumped to conclusions" over abuse.

His fact-finding judgment as part of care proceedings involving Poppi's siblings had previously not been made public in case it prejudiced any future criminal trial.

Handout

A family court hearing was told Poppi had suffered 'significant bleeding'

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Police later announced no charges would be brought against anyone over Poppi's death, but the publication of the judgement was further delayed as Mr Worthington challenged the medical evidence of the findings.

Lawyers for Mr Worthington, who strenuously denies any wrongdoing, had argued he should be excused attendance at the fresh inquest because he had received death threats and his human rights would be better protected by appearing in court via videolink.

Last year, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Mr Worthington with any offence over his daughter's death.